Tales of Tradition
by emineceotaku
Summary: A collection of my versions of Ailuronymy's writing challenge as writing practice and a solution for writer's block. Some tales will have LGBT characters and some will be handling or mention sensitive topics. If any of this upsets please find another story, If not, Please enjoy the tales, R &R and look out for warriors and other fandom fanfics in the future. :)


**AN: It's been months since i last wrote on this site, much less an actual plot driven story. But I really want to get some of these fanfic ideas out of my head with out them being cringy. So I decided to do _all_ of writing challenges on Ailuronymy's tumblr in order to get rid of my "writers' block." Each story will be atleast 500 to 1,000 words excluding the Author's note and may contain fanclans and traditional names along with LGBT and possibly triggering content. I hope some will get enjoyment from these tales before I post my real work which I hope others will like as well. Ciao.**

 **Option 1:** A constantly vigilant medicine cat molly with a brown tabby-and-white pelt and orange eyes who is great at deduction and has a crooked tail.

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Option 1:

Clan: Thunderclan, Riverclan(mentioned)

Naming style: traditional(ailuronymy)

"Congratulations, you have 2 toms and 2 molly, all of which are healthy." Twistedtail announced to Gingerclaw as she gently guided the last squirming bundle of ginger striped fur next to her identical siblings by their mother's belly. She then turned to her apprentice, Lizardpaw, who was trying discreetly paw at his tongue with a slightly disgusted look on his face, most likely trying to get the taste of birth sac out of his mouth.

"Lizardpaw," the Thunderclan molly addressed the tortoiseshell tom who slightly jumped in surprised before jerking his paw from his mouth and shuffling it sheepishly against the ground. Twistedtail made sure to stifle in the amusement in her voice before continuing,"You did a good job today, if you like you can go to the stream just outside of the camp and 'wash up'."

The medicine cat apprentice gave a quick flick of his tail to show his thanks before bolting out of the nursery as if a fox was nipping at his heels.

"Remind me why you made him your apprentice again?" The question tinted with exhausted caused Twistedtail to turn her attention back to her patient. Gingerclaw's pelt was matted with tangled fur scattered across it, a snapped branch laid in front of her limp paws which she was resting her head on as she tried to catch her breath. Despite her physical appearance, Twistedtail could see the pride and love in her eyes along with the way her tail curled protectively around her first litter. Gingerclaw was already showing signs of a fierce motherhood.

"One because Bramblingstar requested that of me and two because I see potential in him." the brown tabby and white molly answered honestly.

She received a disbelieving snort followed by, "The kit becomes as squeamish as drypaw near water when he sees any fluid that _isn't_ water. He can't even have kits of his own to be future contributes to the clan, Bramblingstar made him a medicine cat apprentice to give him a false sense of achievement."

Twistedtail took note of the usage of a _Riverclan_ term but ignored it in favor of defending her apprentice and leader. "Lizardpaw is great at memorizing herbs and tracking them down...He just needs little help with his tendencies. Also I'm sure Bramblingstar just wanted to make her son happy and knew I would take good care of him." Her voice took on a teasing tone. "You'll understand when _your_ kits grow up."

Gingerclaw let out another believing snort yet her tail curled tighter around her kits and her amber eyes flashed with a emotion that Twistedtail never thought she see on the battled hardened molly.

 _anxiousness_

Twistedtail brushed it off as motherhood instincts and got to her paws to begin heading towards the nursery entrance.

"Where are you going?" Gingerclaw called out, causing Twistedtail to stop in her tracks and look over her shoulder at the ginger queen.

"To the warriors' den to fetch Sagetail, Shouldn't he be here to help name the kits?" Twistedtail inquired poising the question as a simple case of curiosity about the dark grey tabby tom's non involvement. Gingerclaw's flattening ears and tail showed the medicine cat that her question affected the new queen more than it should have.

"We already picked out names beforehand, I'm sure he's tired from the patrols he went on today anyway." Gingerclaw meowed quickly and once again her eyes flashed to the signs of anxiety.

"Alright." Twistedtail replied as she made her way back to the queen's side with mind piecing together Gingerclaw's strange behavior. _'She's hiding something...something about these kits.'_

"The toms are Rowankit and Skipperkit." Gingerclaw instructed as she brushed her tailtip across the backs of her sons as she said their names. She shifted her gaze over to her daughters and yet again Twistedtail witness another flash of a emotion.

"These two are Cherrykit and..." Gingerclaw's tone took on a note of hesitation and slight fear, something Twistedtail didn't even think the ginger tabby knew she had, before she breathed out the name of her youngest kit in a shaky whisper. "Tawnykit."

It was a that moment that Twistedtail found the reason for Gingerclaw's behavior.

"Shadetail isn't the father is he?"

Twistedtail didn't mean to blurt out her verdict and covered her muzzle with her paws as if the action would erase her comment from existence. But Gingerclaw's widened eyes and bristling fur both conformed her suspicions and let her know that the real father wasn't a Thunderclan cat.

Gingerclaw went to flurry of emotion expressions from denial to rage and other distrustful feelings before she slumped down and gave the simple question of, "What gave it away?"

"For as long as I've helped queens give birth Its been common for ginger queens to have ginger toms," Twistedtail explained before gently tapping the bent part of her tail next to Cherrykit and Tawnykit. "However the mollies have also almost always looked like their father or a mix between the two parents. Unless the couple shares high similarities in their looks."

Gingerclaw turned her head away from the brown and white tabby before confessing that Sagetail was the only one would cover for her.

"He is a loyal cat," Twistedtail commented before saying the cold truth, "I have to tell Bramblingstar about this."

As fast as lightning Gingerclaw turned her head back to the medicine cat with bitter expression with unsheathed her claws. "I have the right to have the father of my kits remain a secret." She spat and lashed her tail in warning.

"All of the clans will find out eventually!" Twistedtail argued and stamped her paw for emphasis. "What happens when they announce their births? Then the father will know if he doesn't already that they're his!"

"Thriftheart doesn't even know I was carrying his kits!"

Gingerclaw's exclamation caused her once settled litter to whine in fear. She took a few heartbeats to gently shush them. She then let out a harsh breath through her nose before speaking again, this time in a more quieter and remorseful tone.

"Thriftheart and I agreed to stop our relationship after he became deputy. We both agreed to put our clan first if we ever was promoted as one...I found out I was pregnant a quarter moon after wards." Gingerclaw stared down at her paws and noticed her claws had unsheathed, she quickly resheathed them before continuing. "I planned to tell him at the last gathering. But by the time I found him, the leaders had started to speak...that's when I found out."

Twistedtail remembered the last gathering quickly vividly, It was of course her apprentice's first one along with the one that she found out her dear friend and fellow medicine , Greyfoot, had passed away without one of his own. She was so busy worrying about Windclan's dilemma that she had nearly missed Riverclan's announcements.

She of course heard about Thriftheart and Eelstream becoming mates.

Ruddstar had obviously meant the announcement to be a joking one, just slight teasing of his daughter for finally finding a mate. He most likely didn't know the about the secret relationship or that his deputy was the father of half-Thunderclan kits. Just like said father.

Twistedtail thought over that fact for a few heartbeats while analyzing Gingerclaw's body language, she then let out a sigh of defeat and meowed, "Fine."

"You'll keeping my secret?" Gingerclaw asked with disbelief and slight astonishment.

"I don't approve of you keeping this a secret from the clan," Twistedtail admitted and quickly continued once she saw Gingerclaw's eyes harden and her muzzle curl into a frown. "But, I know what it's like to not acknowledge something happening you that you don't want to accept."

"You do?" Gingerclaw asked, her voice condescending.

" _Yes,_ " Twistedtail curled her namesake across her paws. "I do." The medicine cat molly watched as Gingerclaw realize what she was implying before she lowed her ears and let out a small, "Sorry."

"I refused to believe that my life as future warrior was over...It took moons under guidance of my mentor to accept and embrace that this is my life now." Twistedtail explained as got up for the third time that night and fixed Gingerclaw with a stare of sympathy. "It's entirely the same as your situation but I can still relate and I'm willing to cover for you for as long as it doesn't affect the clan."

The nursery was silent as mother and medicine cat stared each other down before ,for once in her life, Gingerclaw let her guard down and allowed exhaustion to take over her. She laid her head down and curled her tail around her kits once more before she looked at Twistedtail and meowed, "Thank you."

Twistedtail merely nodded before wriggling through the nursery's entrance, giving the smallest flick of tail before disappearing from nursery and going towards the leader's den to announce the arrival of the new Thunderclan kits.

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Word count: 1,538

 **AN: How was that for the first tale? I kinda feel like I wrote too detailed and used "Before" too much. Also I don't think I managed to give Twistedtail a solid personality. Any tips on how to make the future tales better?**


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